Ben Holmes,Stratford,CT.PRICE REDUCED! EBW3
Ben Holmes Broadbill working decoy example in bold form and second old coat of gunning paint by Holmes himself. Decoy was hunted over quite a bit, but still maintains it's old structural condition in the great Connecticut school example of this carvers work. Nice decoy from the Northeast!

EMM1 WILLIE ROSS RED BREASTED MERGANSER FROM A RIG OF DECOYS USED BY ROSS AND PICKED DIRECTLY FROM CHEBEAGUE ISLAND MAINE FROM A NEIGHBOR OF ROSS WHEN THE OLD HOUSE WAS STILL STANDING. THESE WERE ALL FOUND IN A SHED ON THE GROUND IN A PILE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND THIS IS THE LAST MERGANSER OF THE LOT. SOLID BODY WHICH IS ABOUT 17" LONG BY 6" IN WIDTH. IN MY OPINION THE BILL HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT WELL DONE AS WELL AS THE HEAD AND BILL HAVING BEEN REPAINTED PROFESSIONALLY. THERE ALSO APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN SOME REPAIR TO THE BOTTOM, CIRCA 1910, VERY COLLECTIBLE DECOY BY ONE OF THE GREAT MAINE CARVERS.

Willie Ross, Chebeague Island, Maine PRICE REDUCED!EMM2
Willie Ross (1878-1954). Very important and extremely rare Willie Ross swimmer in outstanding posture. Inlet head and signature Ross wing patch design as shown. Retains the original glass eyes Ross used for his smaller tollers. Tail appears to have been bumped from behind at some point. This decoy came from Chebeague right down the street from where Ross lived and carved. His family confirmed my belief that this is an early Ross example that probably started as a Shell drake and was painted over and was used by Ross as a Black Duck.Some 60 to 70 years later that over paint has worn nearly back to the original surface and thus shows the wing patch as seen. Very nice example of a true Maine carver and one of the most respected.

ROSWELL BLISS, STRATFORD,CT.
(BW) CLASSIC WORKING DECOY CIRCA 1937 USING A BEN HOLMES PATTERN WITH WHOM HE CARVED. THIS DECOY IS ABOUT 13.5" LONG AND SOLID BODY, (MOST OF HIS DECOY'S WERE HOLLOW), NICE ORIGINAL PAINT AS WELL AS CONDITION WITH TEAR DROP WEIGHT WHICH IS A TRAIT OF THIS CARVER. SEE PAGE 58 AND 76 OF THE BOOK CONNECTICUT DECOYS FOR DECOYS NEAR IDENTICAL TO THIS EXAMPLE.

EBW23 13" solid cedar factory made wooden decoys from the 1930's in this form
show up occasionally, but have never been identified - did not make
either of the two "factory" decoy books.
There is mention in the Connecticut book about a factory in Bridgeport,
CT that made "Duckoy" brand with no other information available.
Trayer's factory book also mentions Duckoy as being in Oyster Bay
(across the sound) Long Island, with no further information. This pair
of Bluebills was from separate finds and each yields a clue. The drake
has a factory stencil under the bill with the price of the decoy
($1.25), and the hen has a unique cast lead weight with the maker's
name and location. The location comes through fine as Bridgeport, CT.
However, the name is partly worn off being on the rounded bottom of the
weight. It looks like "R---SARD CO " but some of the letters are at
best a guess (does not look like Duckoy in any way). These are neat
little birds with some great history yet to be discovered. All
original except repair to the tip of the bill on the hen.Price is for the pair.